The Driller Killer
September 19th 2007 00:32
The title alone was enough to upset conservative parents, but the VHS cover art which depicted the movie’s most graphic moment (ironically more appalling in concept rather than execution), a screaming man having a power drill driven into his forehead, sealed its fate. Along with dozens of other, mostly horror movie titles, The Driller Killer was banned in the UK for a decade or more. The problem was many of these titles were actually intelligently made movies, some even seminal horror movies, and they were all thrown into the some bucket.
The Driller Killer isn’t a brilliant film, it’s not even very good, but it’s very interesting nevertheless. Unintentionally Ferrara made a black comedy. Well, that’s how I interpreted it after finally watching the movie so many years after first learning of its notoriety. It’s a dark, unctuous little art-urban-horror; a case study about one man’s rapid descent into paranoia, misanthropy, madness and the violence he must inflict, upon mostly derelicts, in order to purge the disgust and rage that quells within him.
Jimmy Laine/Abel Ferrara as Reno
When Reno sees a late night ad on TV for a new portable power pack his fevered mind changes gears, and the driller killer is born. Now the city shall pay for his frustration and dissatisfaction. But it’s the city’s homeless and disaffected who are at the receiving end of Reno’s unconventional gun. Until the end of the movie when arrogant art agent and long-suffering girlfriends fall prey.
So many art agents, so little time
Watching Reno running amok in the city’s back streets with a large power drill, thrusting it here and there is a morbidly funny sight. Especially with Reno’s serious expression and the synthesized music stabbing away. But even funnier is the “sub-plot” of the punk band plugging away with their junkie entourage and one derelict in particular (Peter Yellan) at a bus stop who seems more like a weird stand-up comic. With frequent footage of the band rehearsing and in a club with audience The Driller Killer becomes a kind of date stamp, a curiosity of the late 70s New York new waves/punk-rock fashion scene.
Reno paints the town red in his mind
The Driller Killer suggests a movie of extreme violence, but is actually rather tame compared to many other horror movies before and after. It’s a disquieting film, but an intriguing and auspicious first feature (if you disregard the porn) littered with themes of contempt and confusion, morality and corruption, and a time capsule of spiked indulgence.
Here's an original teaser trailer:
Not surprisingly movie is being remade. Asia Argento was tipped to direct re-setting the movie in Italy with Ferrara producing, but it is now being directed by young Welshman Andrew Jones with a release date sometime next year.
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Comment by Damo
Not sure that I can take my wife to see this one and still have a stable relationship afterwards.
She'd be asking me, "You have put the drill away, haven't you?"
If she finds it under the bed then I would have domestic trouble for a month.
Good review.
Comment by Cibbuano
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I'm interested in that rare adult feature, Nine Lives of a Wet Pussy? I looked it up on IMDb...
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I'll never look at a handyman with a drill the same way again!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Cibby, trust you to look up the adult feature ... I was gonna mention the title, but somehow it seemed, err, incongruous ... lol\
Kylie, yeah, I only discovered it was being made as I was finishing my review and was checking actors names ... sigh, are there no limits to Hollywood?!
Comment by D. Armenta
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Debate Fan
Hahaha, nope! There are no limits to Hollywood. Just the thought of someone running around with a power drill --and being serious--cracks me up.
I'm guessing it was a cordless drill? Probably ran out of juice within 5 minutes! It's either that or a really long extension cord...
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile